


All Will Soon Change

by littlewench



Series: League of Lemons [2]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-24 23:00:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3787570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlewench/pseuds/littlewench
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Viktor the Machine Herald finds someone who wants to join the glorious evolution. Lots of fluff, some romance and a bit of sex in later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All Will Soon Change

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I totally have a weird crush on Viktor. I blame the fandom and the awesome (and very handsome) VA.
> 
> Why am I writing this? Because Viktor needs a hug...and someone to love him.

Viktor sat in his lab in Zaun, tinkering with one of his latest inventions, when he heard a tentative knock on the door. He lifted his head "Hmm?" Then he remembered he had ordered some crystals from a shop with techmaturgy, so this was probably a courier, who was here to deliver them. He stood up, carefully placing the device on the table, and headed to answer the door. 

"What is it?" He asked unceremoniously.The courier was a young woman, who smiled at him politely. 

"Good day, sir. I bring the two packs of power crystals that were ordered to be delivered to this address." 

Viktor nodded. "Good. It took you long enough. Come, let us take them inside," he continued, picking up one of the rather large boxes. It was surprisingly heavy and made him wonder how the girl managed to carry them. She followed him obediently into one of the many rooms of his den and placed the delivery on the table he indicated. 

"And the payment, sir?" the girl asked. Viktor realized he had forgotten to prepare a pouch with gold to pay for the delivery and needed to take the money from his vault. 

"A moment. Wait here. And do _not_ touch anything," he answered before disappearing into another room.

* * *

Mira stood in the middle of a large room filled with lots of different... _things_. There was not a single surface not completely covered in various metal parts scattered all around and all kinds of what she assumed were techmaturgical and hextech devices. And there were tanks and vials with liquids of all colours and consistencies there, too. Resisting the urge to go and try what everything did, she just had to do with looking at all the gadgets in amazement.

Soon she heard heavy footsteps and the deep metallic rumble of Viktor's voice.

"Here. Now be gone. I need to work on my research."

She took the money from his gloved hand and walked out the door onto the street. There she mounted the delivery horse and pulled a paper from the saddlebag to check where she was supposed to go next.

* * *

 

Viktor opened the boxes to inspect the crystals. They didn't seem to be damaged, that was good. He couldn't wait to try them out.

A few hours later he was done and satisfied. The crystals did exactly what he wanted them to and he had successfully managed to augment his staff. Now he just needed to see if he could do the same with his third arm, the lazer was in dire need of an upgrade. He reached behind his back with a screwdriver to remove it but it twitched and knocked the tool from his hand, sending it clattering on the floor. The screwdriver didn't withstand the fall and broke. Viktor muttered a curse under his breath. Now he needed to get a new one as this was the last one of this type he had. So off to the Techmaturgy and Hextech he went.

* * *

I'm deeply sorry, sir, but we don't normally sell this type of screwdrivers here," said the yordle shopkeeper. "But we can order it from our supplier and have it delivered to you if you like," he continued. 

Viktor pondered on it shortly. It would be expensive to order it like this. Then again, if they didn't have it in the most specialised shop in Zaun, he doubted it would be easy to find it anywhere else. Looking for it would not only take him time but also a lot of effort...and money as well.

"Fine. I will send the payment with the courier who brings it to me, like with the crystals."

The yordle shot him a beaming smile. "Yes, yes, of course. You are our trusted customer by now, so we don't doubt you will pay up and we know you won't refuse to hand over the money like this scoundrel the other day..."

Viktor ignored the shopkeeper's babbling and went back home to his lab. There was still a lot of work to do.

* * *

 

Mira sat on her bed, reading a book on techmaturgy by candlelight. She had always been greatly interested in the subject. The only problem was that her family couldn't afford to have their daughter going to the College of Techmaturgy to study it. Not to mention her mother was strongly against it anyway.

"What would become of you? A mad scientist? No, my dear, you need a stable job, so you can earn some money and save up for the future when you want to have a family."

Mira hated hearing this. She couldn't care less about a stable job and she didn't plan a family either. She just wanted to do something interesting. She also believed techmaturgy could be extremely useful, the inventions would pave the future. That is why she was so excited to find out the local shop  with these things was in need of an assistant. The shopkeeper appreciated her enthusiasm and knowledge. She knew how to handle things, repair them and she also seemed to have a knack for predicting what the customers would need and they always knew what to keep stocked on. The yordle had her help him in the shop and she was also tasked with delivering orders to different people. That way she got to meet a lot of inventors and see their labs. It was simply amazing. The pay wasn't too bad either and even her mother seemed to at least accept it. Now if she only stopped hinting that it was time Mira found a man to marry...

Thinking about men sent her thoughts wandering to the Machine Herald. He was half man, half robot and most people believed him to be utterly insane but there just was _something_ about him. And she found herself intrigued by how mysterious he was. He was like a difficult riddle. And Mira loved riddles. She also thought there was a lot more to his story than was generally known...there was an interesting man behind that scary mask, she was sure of it.

She was very excited when the yordle told her she would be delivering a new package to him soon,..


	2. Analyzing Approach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mira reveals surprising talents. Viktor is impressed.

Viktor was leaning over his work table with Singed, consulting a plan for a brand new hexcore for his third hand. Which was why he couldn't hear the knock on the door.

After a long time of nobody answering, curiosity got the better of Mira and she tried the handle. The door was unlocked and she entered.

"Hello?" Her voice echoed in the hall. "Anyone here?"

Suddenly she felt a knife pressed against her neck and heard a voice. It was one she had heard before and it belong to no other than Singed, the Mad Chemist.

"Who are you and what do you want here?" he said in his low baritone.

Mira gulped. "I...I'm just a courier. I bring the screwdriver Viktor ordered. The door was unlocked so I thought-"

"Let her go, Singed." It was Viktor who spoke now, his robotic voice betraying no sign of emotion.

Singed let go off her and Mira's hand subconsciously darted to her neck.

"You, do not do that again. If it was me who noticed you first, you would not be breathing anymore, stupid girl."

Suddenly Mira felt anger seizing her. She had had enough of this. "Well, if you don't want people to go into your lab, maybe you shouldn't leave the door open!"

A seemingly endless moment of silence followed. Then both men started laughing.

"I like this one, Viktor, she's got fire. Now now, little one, give him what you are supposed to."

Mira handed Viktor the package, taking a pouch of gold in return, then she just strode out without a word.

* * *

"What was that about?" Singed asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" was the answer. The mage sounded irritated.

Singed laughed again. "I think this little vixen likes you, my friend."

The Machine Herald waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense. Now, let us focus on the work, shall we."

Singed couldn't help smiling. He was starting to get very curious how things would turn out.

* * *

 The shopkeeper yordle was confused. He was quite sure something was wrong with his young assistant that day. She was in a terrible mood ever since she came back from the delivery rounds, to the point that she almost threw a lamp at a particularly unpleasant customer. Of course, the answer he got out of her upon answering what had happened was: "Nothing." If he could go off what he knew from his wife (and he correctly assumed that there weren't many differences between yordle and human women when it came to these things), it meant "Everything. But I'm not in the mood to talk about it." So he just left her alone, hoping she would calm down before she started breaking things.

* * *

Mira was very, very angry. She wasn't sure if it was herself she was mad at for being such a stupid goose, Viktor for being so aloof and calling her a "stupid girl" or the world in general. Not that it mattered. There was a storm raging inside her head. Luckily the day was busy and time passed relatively fast. After a few hours she finally managed to wrap everything up for the day and head home. There she slammed the door to her room closed, threw herself on the bed, burried her face into her pillow and pretended she couldn't feel the stinging of tears in her eyes.

* * *

A week later, she was peacefully repairing an antique clock in the back of the shop, when she heard the doorbell and heavy footsteps. Surely enough, it was Viktor. He looked around, probably searching for the shopkeeper. But he had gone for lunch not long ago and wouldn't be back for quite some time. Which meant Mira had to take care of whatever request the man had herself. She stood up and made her way to the counter. 

Viktor surprised her by speaking before she even managed to open her mouth. "Good day," he said in his thick accent. "I am looking for the owner, I need a couple parts for a new hexcore and I was hoping to discuss it with him..."

Mira smirked. "I'm afraid he's not here at the moment and he won't be back for quite a while," she replied, trying to pierce Viktor with her eyes. Seeing him had reminded her of the incident a week ago and it just made her angry again. "However, I can help you as well if you need."

* * *

They ended up talking for over an hour. When the yordle finally came back, Viktor was already leaving. 

"Thank you very much for the advice. I am imppressed by your knowledge. I will consider what you have told me." He stood in silence for a second but then continued. "I would also like to offer an apology if I offended you the other day."

This made Mira smile. She was right, he wasn't a complete jerk. "It's alright, nothing to be sorry about. Have a good day."

* * *

 

The shopkeeper shook his head. The girl had been furious mere hours ago and now she walked around with a smile on her face and a distant look in her eyes. Well...at least she was happy and no customer was endangered by flying lamps...for now anyway.

* * *

Viktor worked on his new core for hours. To his surprise, it turned out amazing, the girl was right. He was very much impressed by her extensive knowledge of techmaturgy. People who hadn't studied the College usually knew next to nothing, let alone people who hadn't studied it and were women. She seemed to be full of surprises. He decided it would be a good idea to consult her again soon.

A few days later, they spoke again. And after another short period of time, again. After his third visit to the shop he decided he trusted her enough.

"Mira. Maybe...maybe you could come visit me in my lab some day. I have many interesting devices there and also...also some books you might like. Also...I could use a bit of advice from time to time."

* * *

 

Mira smiled, it was clear he was very uncomfortable saying it like this but it made her heart jump. He actually liked her...or at least it seemed like it. She smiled at him.

"Gladly."

 

 


	3. Pave the Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor remembers some things from the past. And then he has a fight with his big rival, Jayce.
> 
> Yes, I'm awful at summaries, just read it.

“Are you sure? I think it would be better to make the whole thing a little smaller and use this type of crystal instead,” Mira said.

“Hmmm, you may be right,” was the answer, a metallic rumble with a heavy accent. “But making it so small will make it difficult to construct and repair.” “

Well yeah but if you make it too big, it will be hard to conceal...”

Viktor gave in. She was right. Of course she was, she was always right...almost always anyway.

“Alright. But if it does not work, I am never listening to your advice again,” he teased.

“Fine by me, because I know it will.” A few hours later, the device was complete. And it worked perfectly. Mira grinned at Viktor and he smiled at her under his mask. He was starting to like this girl in a strange way. He had few friends, partially because he found it difficult to trust people...and then there was the issue that most considered him crazy, scary or disgusting. But Mira wasn't afraid of him in the slightest, she talked back to him all the time, teased him and he found he trusted her as well. He decided it was nice to make a new friend. His only companions were Singed and, well, Mundo. But the good doctor couldn't really be considered a friend, could he? Viktor wasn't even sure he understood the concept of friendship...or the concept of anything besides killing people.

Mira looked at the clock. “Damn! It's so late already, I need to get home or my parents will kill me!” she exclaimed.

The Machine Herald felt a strange sinking feeling in his stomach, something he hadn't felt in years. Almost as if he were sad that she was leaving already. But that couldn't be the case, could it? He got rid of emotions ages ago, at least most of them. It was worrying, that was for sure.

“It was nice to be able to be here with you, Viktor. Looking forward to doing this again soon. Good night, take care.” With that she left.

Viktor sat down, taking the little hextech weapon into his hands. It reminded him of Mira and he felt the feeling again. Maybe...maybe it would be better to sever his ties to her if she made him feel like this. Emotions were something he didn't want to feel. Not again. Not after the incident with Blitzcrank being stolen by Stanwick...

_He could see it as if it were just yesterday, even though it had happened several years ago. The sentient golem was finally finished. They tried turning it on. At first nothing happened but then it blew off a bit of steam, started moving and spoke. 'Fired up and ready to serve!' Viktor had never felt so happy in his life. The greatest invention of his life had been a huge success. Now they could perfect the technology and everyone could soon have a golem like this to help then with work. They could do all the dangerous things like mining coal and metals deep under the ground. That day would be the start of a Glorious Evolution._

_He looked over at his colleague, Stanwick Pididly. He smiled at him, apparently as happy as Viktor himself. Then he came over a shook his hand. If only Viktor had known then that Stanwick had already betrayed him and at that moment he already knew what would happen._

_Because his dear partner in research stole Viktor's notebook and published all his notes to the research...as if they were Stanwick's own. He stole all the credit, only mentioning Viktor as a member of the research team._

_What the young scientist felt when it happened couldn't be described by any words known to men. He was furious and desperate and torn apart and...he was just spinning into madness. It was an awful time. And that was when he decided it would be better not to have emotions seize him like this and take control over his body. He would perfect himself instead of creating a machine like Blitzcrank. That would solve his problem and to top it off, there was no way Stanwick could steal his very body. Yes, that was a perfect plan!_

_When professor Pididly created Urgot a year or so later, Viktor didn't care anymore. He was too busy with his research to care. Not to mention he got rid of jealousy, as well as all other feelings, or, as he called them, weaknesses. At least that was what he thought he had done._

But now it seemed that they were coming back. He had to do something about it, he just wasn't sure what yet.

* * *

Jayce sat in his lab, reading the anonymous letter he had received a day prior. Every line infuriated him more and more. He knew the Machine Herald was insane but what he did now was too much even for him. Apparently he had somehow managed to force a young woman to come to his lab so he could experiment on her. She now returned home at late hours of the night, not acting like herself at all. She she came back to him randomly, almost as if when he called her. The writer asked Jayce to save the young damsel in distress.

Of course the Defender of Tomorrow would do it, and gladly. Not only did he see himself as a hero, he hated Viktor's guts, too. Ever since the incident with the crystal. Some people teased him that if it weren't for Viktor, he would never have become the hero he was now...which was no comfort at all. He was readying his Mercury Hammer and his armor when someone knocked on his door. It was Heimerdinger.

“Good afternoon, friend. I've just finished testing a new turret and I would like to show you-”

“Not now, Heimer, please. I have important work to do. In Zaun.”

“Zaun? Jayce, please don't tell me you want to fight Viktor again?!”

Jayce nodded grimly. “He has kidnapped a young defenceless woman and now wants to conduct his horrific experiments on her. I have to stop him!”

“Are you sure? It doesn't sound like Viktor he works alon-”

“Heimer! I of all people should know what a monster this creature is! He needs to be stopped.”

With that he slammed the door of his lab, getting on his way to Zaun. The yordle scientist stood there in shock for a moment, then mumbled to himself:

“Oh deary dear. This doesn't look good. Not good at all.”

He decided it would be best to follow his friend before he got into real trouble. Also, while he wasn't exactly friends with Viktor, he didn't want him dead either. He respected him for his inventions. And unlike on the Fields of Justice, where a Nexus could resurrect and heal any wounds, in the outside world, death was very permanent, even for Champions. Dead Viktor and Jayce in trial for murder didn't sound particularly good.

* * *

The door burst into splinters, catching Viktor unaware and unprepared. Looking towards there to see who had done it, he saw Jayce and he froze.

“Where is she you monster?” Jayce bellowed, raising his hammer

. “Who?” Viktor was genuinely confused.

“The lady you kidnapped, Viktor. Don't play your games with me. Now, where is she?!”

“I really do not know what you are talk-”

The Mercury Hammer landed barely an inch from his head. That was enough for Viktor. Even though he had no idea what the so called “Defender of Tomorrow” had gotten into his stupid head this time, he would not be attacked in his lab like this without putting up a fight. Grabbing his staff, he shot a bolt of energy at Jayce. This seemed to only further enrage the bigger man and he lunged at Viktor who barely managed to dodge on time. Realizing the was actually aiming to really hurt him, Viktor decided to go all in and fired another shot at Jayce, gaining an energy shield which saved him from another deadly blow.

Jayce ran at Viktor again, forcing him to step back and trip over a big metal tube.. While the cyborg was picking himself up, Jayce transformed his hammer into a ranged weapon and fired, hitting the smaller man square in the chest. Viktor stopped moving.

“Viktor? Viktor! I heard awful noise, what happ- Oh goodness!”

* * *

Mira was passing Viktor's lab, going to work to the shop when she saw the door had been broken down and heard the noise from inside and she knew something was wrong. When she entered, she saw a tall man with a huge hammer standing over and unmoving Viktor and her heart skipped a beat. It was Jayce. And Jayce hated Viktor, everyone knew that. She had no idea why he attacked him though...

“It's you isn't it? The girl this monster kidnapped and experimented on!”

“What are you talking about? I'm a friend, I was helping him with some research, he didn't kidnap me or experiment on me! Where the hell did you hear that nonsense?”

“Jayce looked at her, studying her for a long time. You stupid girl, you have feelings for him, don't you.” he snorted. “I guess whoever wrote this letter was wrong then.” he said, pulling the piece of paper out of his jacket, letting it fall to the ground and walking away without a word, leaving the shocked Mira alone in the lab with Viktor's still motionless body.

She walked over to the man, trying to find a pulse on his human hand. It was there, weak, but he was alive.

“Oh Viktor, what has he done to you?”

Then she heard footsteps, someone came into the lab. It was Heimerdinger, the yordle inventor.

“Oh my, I'm too late!”

“What do you mean, too late?”

“I followed Jayce to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid...but he was faster than me. How is Viktor doing?”

Mira frowned. “He's alive but unconscious, some of his circuits are probably damaged, I have no idea. I do know some hextech but...his augments are too advanced for me.”

Looking up at the inventor, sparks of hope lit in her eyes. “Maybe you can look at him and help? Please.

” Heimerdinger nodded. “Yes, yes, I will take a look and see what I can do for him. Here, help me move him. Hmmm....it seems his mask has been severely damaged as well as his chestplate and a lot of augments. I don't think I can fix them all back to how they used to be, but I should make them work well enough for him to repair everything himself.”

With that, he started tinkering with Viktor's mask, suddenly something clicked and the metal came off, revealing his very face. A _very handsome_ face, Mira thought. His hair was messy and black with a white streak, his complexion pale, but he was undeniably attractive. She could now see him breathing through his mouth shallowly.

“Is there anything I can do to help you?”

she asked Heimer hopefully. He shook his head.

“Not at the moment I'm afraid. Maybe...call Singed, they are friends I believe. He may know something about his technology...”

And so Mira did, ran to Singed's lab. Luckily he wasn't in a match and was sitting there. She explained everything to him and they rushed back to Viktor's place in a few moments. When they arrived, the Mad Chemist went to help Heimerdinger move Viktor to his bed and fix him somehow, leaving Mira alone in the destroyed room.

She picked up the letter Jayce had dropped earlier, reading it. Her face grew into an expression of confusion mixed with anger and sadness.

_It was her mother's handwriting._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you were wondering what I imagine Viktor to look like in this fic, I'd say something between his Classic and Prototype skins. He already has the mask and metal legs but most of him is still human.
> 
> Shoutout to two amazing people on deviantart who draw art of Viktor and really helped the inspiration for this fic. Those people are: BeastQueen and LegendarySwordsman. Seriously, their art is amazing, go check them out.
> 
> That's it for now, the next chapter will be coming soon, I hope. Enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated ;)


	4. Obliterate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crisis comes along. Stay with Mira on her journey trying to conquer the steel heart of the Machine Herald.

The pulsating pain he felt in his head was awful to say the least. Not to mention a lot of his sensors were screaming warnings at him and the rest seemed to not be working at all. His face felt cold...

 

Viktor opened his eyes and the bright daylight blinded him. His mask was off and his face hurt. His chest hurt too...and so did the rest of him. He slowly started recalling the previous events. Last thing he could remember was a projectile from the Mercury Hammer flying towards him. Apparently it had done a lot of damage, much more than Viktor would expect. His chestplate most definitely needed upgrading. A lot of his augments were heavily damaged or completely destroyed but at least he was alive. Then he overheard voices.

 

“He is still unconscious? But it's been four days! We really need to speak to him about the incident, maybe you could wake him up?”

 

“I most definitely could not. He barely survived. If you're saying Jayce came to turn himself in, I'm sure he won't run anywhere and it can wait until Viktor gets better. And that might take a long time in his current condition...”

 

The second voice belonged to Mira. But who was she speaking to? Viktor tried to sit up to look through the half open door and let out a soft grunt of pain. Maybe sitting up wasn't such a good idea. The two people outside his bedroom stopped their conversation. He heard footsteps approaching, the door creaked open and there was Mira. She looked tired and worried.

 

“Viktor! Oh I'm so glad you are finally awake, we were all so scared! It's been days since you and Jayce... We will need to fix you and make you work again.” She smiled at him. Somehow that smile made him feel a little better.

 

A second figure came through the door, a young man dressed in the purple robes of a Summoner.

 

“Greetings, Viktor. I'm here on behalf of the Summoner Council. Jayce came to us four days ago and told us what happened... we would like to hear your side of the story and settle it somehow between you two. It would be nice if we could manage to avoid a court trial. It would only cause a scandal and it would be good for neither of you, nor the League.”

 

“I uh...” even speaking was painful. “I will try to contact you as soon as I can. I need to get myself into working condition first.” he managed between grunts of pain.

 

“Very well then. Thank you for your time.” the Summoner bowed and exited the room.

 

Mira knelt beside Viktor's bed and smiled at him. “Now, we need to patch you up. What do we start with?”

 

They worked on his augments for hours. Well, mostly Mira did and Viktor told her what to do. He got tired soon and fell asleep, not seeing Singed coming in to see how his friend was doing.

 

“You should go home, Mira. You've been here since you found him, I'm sure your parents are worried.”

 

That made Mira wince. “Yes, I'm sure they are,” she replied. “I'll be back soon.”

 

 

On the way home, her head was full of crazy thoughts. Her mother sent the letter to Jayce, almost causing Viktor's death. Mira knew her mother wasn't particularly thrilled by her daughter going to visit the inventor, mainly because of his reputation but she would never have guessed she would do something like this. She knew an argument was imminent, a very angry one at that. But she would get answers no matter what.

 

“Mira! Oh dear child I was so worried for you! You haven't been home for days, we thought something had happened to you, that the vile madman hurt you-”

 

“Save it, mother.” Mira blurted out, furious. Now she was acting as if nothing happened? “I know you sent a letter to Jayce. Who came to Viktor's lab and almost killed him because of it. Now, would you mind explaining to me why the _fuck_ you would do such a thing?” The anger took hold of her tongue. A voice somewhere in her head screamed at Mira not to talk to her mother like this but she couldn't stop herself.

 

The older woman's expression darkened. “Want to know why? Well then. You were coming to is lab often, following him like a sick puppy, at home you would never help with anything and you would be completely distant and out of focus. I was worried about you, thought he did something to you...”

 

“Really? You thought I was that stupid? Still, you could have tried to talk to me but instead you did this. Would killing a Champion of the League really be worth it?”

 

The two women stared at each other in silence for a long while that seemed to take forever, their eyes telling things their words could never express.

 

“I understand now. You stupid cow fell in love with him, haven't you?”

 

“Yes, yes I'm in love with him, so what? Why should you care?”  


“Because it's crazy! As if it weren't enough that you have to work in a stupid techmaturgy shop instead of doing something appropriate for a young woman, now you want to be with a crazy inventor who is obsessed with turning people into machines! That's just unacceptable Mira! You need to find a normal boy and marry him and live a normal, respectable life!”

 

“I don't care about having a respectable life! I don't want to be normal! I want to do what I like, what I'm good at, not work in a bakery or make dresses like any girl! I want to be with the man I love, not some stupid boy! I'm old enough to make this decision myself, too! You can't order me!”

 

“Oh I can, young lady,” her mother hissed. “As long as you are living under my roof, you will obey me.”

 

“Well then I guess I don't want to live under your roof anymore!” Mira screamed at the top of her lungs.

 

“Fine.” her mother said coldly. “If that's what you want, leave. But don't come back crying and begging to be allowed to come back. And don't think your father will help you with it.”

 

“Alright. Good bye,” was all Mira said before slamming the door and going back to Viktor's lab.

 

“Something happen?” Singed looked genuinely worried. And Mira told him. “Oh wow. Want to talk about it?”

 

“Not really. How's Viktor doing?”

 

“He's getting better, managed to repair most of the bad damage. Now he's asleep.”

 

“I see. Well, I guess I'll stay here overnight, keep an eye on him and all...”

 

“You have nowhere to go now, do you?” Singed asked.

 

Mira shook her head.

 

“You know, if you ever need...I do have a spare room in my house, you could stay there, at least until you find something better...if Viktor doesn't want you staying here.”

 

“Thanks Singed.”  


“No problem, Mira. That's what friends are for.”

 

Mira smiled. The feared Mad Chemist had just called her a friend.

 

“Now I need to go home. See you soon.”

 

Mira pulled a chair next to Viktor's bed and dozed off.

 

Viktor sat, Mira helping him repair the damaged parts of his legs. He had nothing but underwear on and she could feel the heat emanating from his body. It was making it hard to focus for her. He didn't have his mask on and when Mira looked up, she saw him looking down at her with his beautiful dark eyes. She didn't remember how it happened later but suddenly their lips were locked in a soft kiss.

 

When they pulled away, she was out of breath and blushing. But his expression was...cold. And so was his voice when he spoke.

 

“Mira. We can not do this. I am sorry if you think we are more than friends but it is a misunderstanding.”

 

“Viktor....”

 

“Maybe it would be better if we did not see each other for some time, until your feelings calm down.”

 

She was shocked and stunned. It took a while for the words to get through to her but when they did...she looked at Viktor to see if he heard the sound of her heart breaking but he seemed completely indifferent. She felt tears in the corners of her eyes but tried to stop them.

 

“As you wish...” She finally managed to lift herself up, her legs feeling like lead, and ran out of the lab into the streets.

 

She found a place in the corner of an old factory, where she used to play as a little girl, sat down and, making sure nobody could see her, started crying. In a single day, everything that mattered to her went to hell. She was kicked out of her house and the man she loved didn't care about her. She had no idea what to do now, where to go...every part of her life was ruined forever.

 

Then it started raining. Mira tried to curl up to the wall but it didn't protect her enough from getting wet. Not that it mattered anymore...nothing mattered anymore. She just sat and cried, lost in the pain.

 

Singed was walking from Viktor's lab the next morning, after checking up on his friend. Viktor told him what had happened. Singed now knew he had to find Mira, wherever she was. He knew the girl would be hurt and what if she did something stupid.

 

Passing by an old factory, he saw someone curled up there in a wet puddle, asleep. Upon closer inspection, it was Mira. He tried waking her up but she seemed too exhausted. Not knowing what to do with her, he scooped her up gently and carried her to his home, removing her wet clothes except her underwear and placing her in bed.

 

Well, this was a mess. A very, very big mess. And he had to help these two clean it up.

 


	5. Destroy, then improve!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being destroyed, the relationship of Viktor and Mira gets one last chance.

“If I understand it correctly, you received an anonymous letter telling you Viktor had kidnapped a young woman and was carrying out experiments on her. You decided to save her and got into a fight, attacking without trying to find out the truth, blindly believing what was written in the letter. Perhaps biased by your previous experiences, especially the whole affair around the crystal. You severely injured him and then you shot him in the chest. It's a miracle he is still alive. Are you aware of what would happen if you murdered a Champion of the League like this?”

 

Jayce sat in silence and then nodded. He knew he was in trouble, a lot of trouble even. When he came back home, Heimerdinger visited him, telling him about what his outburst of rage had caused. Jayce, calmed down already, realized what he had done. After a talk with his inventor friend, he decided it would be best to go and turn himself in with the League justice system. At least Viktor had survived the attack. As much as Jayce hated the Zaunite, he didn't want to kill him...not when his mind wasn't flooded by blind rage.

 

The punishment for killing a defenseless Champion like this would probably be being expulsed from the League and a few years of prison, but that was hardly the worst. The shame and guild would be worse and he would have to bear them his whole life. And the girl, as stupid as she was, having feelings for such a monster, would have her heart broken and Jayce would never forgive himself for that. As righteous and hot-blooded as he usually was, he wasn't stupid.

 

He looked over to the Machine Herald who was sitting in an armchair, his steel mask betraying no thoughts or emotions as usual.

 

“I am aware, yes. And I would like to offer my humble apologies, Viktor. Attacking you like this for no reason was incredibly stupid. I will gladly pay for the damage to your lab and augments...”

 

The man now turned to him. “Oh, there is no need. I understand why you attacked. A large part of guilt lies on the shoulders of whoever sent that letter to you.... no need to pay for any damage, either. At least I discovered the flaws my armour had. I see it as an opportunity to improve.”

 

“Very well,” it was the Summoner who spoke now. “I believe we can consider this issue settled and there is no need to proceed to take it into the court. I hope it will never happen again. Good day, gentlemen.”

 

When they were exiting the room, Jayce couldn't help and had to ask Viktor. “How is that girl of yours doing? She seemed so worried when I saw her...”

 

The yellow lights in Viktor's mask stared at him blankly. “What girl? I do now know who you speak of, Jayce.”

 

The Defender of Tomorrow was taken aback by this. The young girl was obviously infatuated with Viktor and it seemed the inventor had no idea...or he did and he refused to admit it.

 

“I see. Well, have a good day, and sorry again.”

 

They parted and each went on his way, Jayce back to Piltover and Viktor back to his lab in Zaun.

 

Viktor's mind was ablaze. He did his best to forget but of course, Jayce had to remind him. Now all the feelings he was trying to keep bottled up inside came flooding back. When he finally got home, he sat down on his bed and took the little device Mira had helped him make in his human palm.

 

_He had liker her, a lot. And she had saved his life. Singed told him everything about how she had set next to his bed, never leaving his side the whole time he was unconscious. How worried she had been. He saw for himself how happy she was when he woke up. And Mira being happy somehow made him happy as well. He was sure of the cause now. His systems restraining the production of hormones which caused emotions must have been damaged and the fight with Jayce destroyed them. Yes, that was the only possible explanation. He had to repair them, and he had to do it soon._

 

_The way she looked up at him at that moment, it stirred something inside him. Emotions long forgotten. Emotions he hadn't felt in years. Not since the moment Lya left him. She thought he had lied to her about being the one who came up with the Blitzcrank project when Stanwick stole his notes... It was painful to remember even now, after so much time. The heartbreak was a big part of why he never wanted to feel again._

 

_And now he did. And he let himself get carried away and kissed her. That kiss filled him with a burning need for more. A need to take her into his arms and never let her go... but that was impossible. They never could be together. Even if she had feelings for him, it just could never work. Viktor would never love anyone again, he was better than that, he didn't let emotions control him anymore. The truth was, feeling like this terrified him more than he would admit. There was only one thing that could be done about it, to prevent a disaster. He had to end it, there and then, hush out the flame that was starting to burn in his heart before it was too late. But maybe it had been too late all along..._

 

No. He couldn't think like this. He had to focus on repairing all the remaining damage and then he had to go back to his research and fighting in the League. He had been freed from any matches until he got better but he had to go back. He was almost looking forward to it. His improved augments would do better, he just knew it. And now that there was no Mira around to help him...no, not to help him, to keep him from his work, he could really get into it again. Yes, that was what he was going to do.

 

“How about a drink?” The Mad Chemist was holding a mug of something.

 

“What is that?” asked Mira suspiciously.

 

Singed laughed. “Oh it's just tea, don't worry. Thought it might be good after you got co wet and cold in the rain yesterday.”

 

She accepted the tea and thanked him. It didn't taste half bad, she decided after a few sips.

 

She had woken up about an hour ago, in a bed she had never seen before. Needless to say, it was quite a shock. Especially because she had nothing but underwear on. When she ran out of the room to see where the hell she was, she ran right into Singed who was about to check on her and he told her how he had found her lying in a puddle in the rain, unconscious and carried her to his home. She was surprised and very grateful. He lent her one of his old shirts which was long enough to look like a short dress on the much shorter girl. He offered her a spare room in his house until things resolved themselves or she found a place to live. The feared madman was actually a nice guy... it was a pleasant surprise.

 

“Singed...I was wondering, do you have any time to talk maybe?” she asked after a long while of silence.

 

“Yes, yes, of course. All I have to do today is a match but that's later this evening, I have a few hours of free time. I know what happened with Viktor so I'm guessing that's what you want to talk about?”

 

Mira nodded. “You talked to him about it?”

 

“Not really, he only told me he had told you you two couldn't be together. He said after that you had stormed off. That's all. When he said that I looked for you and found you and you know the rest.”  


“I see.” Mira sighed.

 

“What do you plan to do now?”

 

“I don't know. First of all, I need to find a place to live, can't bother you forever. And Viktor...I guess it will be best to just forget him. Even though I will miss him, as a friend, you know.”

 

“Well, maybe you could wait until things calm down a little and talk to him.”

 

“What should I talk to him about? He doesn't want me. He doesn't want to see me again. He made that pretty clear.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“How do I know what?”

 

“That he doesn't want you. Why are you so sure he doesn't like you the same way you like him?”

 

“He said...”

 

Singed smiled. “Yes, he said. Nothing but words. People lied every day. For all kinds of reasons. I've known Viktor for quite a while and I can tell when he likes someone. You know what, I will try to talk to him again, get something out of him.”

 

“Singed. Why are you doing this? All of it. I don't see a reason...”

 

He smiled again. “Because you are a friend and so is Viktor. And the last thing I want is to see you both unhappy because of such a stupid thing like a misunderstanding.”

 

“She did what?”  


“She had an argument with her mother, who kicked her out of the house. Because of you.”

 

“But why?”

 

“Damn, Viktor, how can you be so blind? Have those electric circuits in your head make you unable to see the obvious? She cares for you, she cares for you a lot! So much that she gave up her family, just to be with you. And you pushed her away like this!”

 

“We can never be together. I do not want another woman who will betray me. Not to mention, there is no room for feelings and such nonsense in my life.”

 

Singed stared at his friend for a long moment. “Really? Is this really what you want? You had a girl you liked once, a girl who only liked you for the fame your research would bring you, leave you. And because of that you want to give up the chance to be with someone who actually likes you for you? And is the life of an emotionless machine really what you want? When you lose all feelings, what will you do? There will be nothing stimulating your mind, nothing pushing you forward and you will just become a shell, a robot and a killing machine. Is that it? Is that what you want? Come on, Viktor, think about it.”

 

Viktor stood there, staring at the floor. “I can not, Singed. I just can not. And it is better for both of us. She deserves a normal boy who will love her and give her a house and a family and a happily forever after. Not me. Not the monster everyone thinks I am...”

 

Singed sighed. “You know, you should talk to her when you both calm down. You really should. Give it another chance. Just one, that's all I ask. Promise you will?”

 

Viktor finally nodded hesitantly. “Yes, one more chance.”

 

“Wait, he really wants to try again? But...”

 

“I told you he cared for you, Mira.”

 

“But he said...”

 

“Tell me something. How does the whole thing feel? What you feel for Viktor?”

 

“I... I just really want to be with him, I want to see him smile and... I'm also scared. In fact, I'm very scared. Scared he will not like me, that he will reject me when I do something stupid...”

 

“And have you ever considered that he might be feeling the same? What if he's just as scared as you are?”

 

“I...I guess you could be right. But... how does that change anything? What should I do?”

 

“Try again. Talk. Take it slowly and let the fear slip away. You already got under his armor more than anyone in many years. Don't give up. Not now. For both of your sakes.”

 

“Very well then,” Mira said after a while of thinking. _If Viktor felt the same and was really only just scared like she was...maybe it could work somehow. She hoped it wasn't a false hope. Her heart being broken so badly once was enough for her. But she had to try..._

 

“One more chance.

 

 


End file.
